California Electricity Price Knowledge

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Machine-readable summary for California electricity rates and ranking metrics.

Region: West

How This State Compares

State rate vs U.S. national average.

Electricity in California costs 75.2% more than the national average.

State rate
33.35 ¢/kWh
National average
19.04 ¢/kWh
Difference: +14.31 ¢/kWhDifference: +75.2%Category: much higher than national average
California vs U.S. averageCalifornia vs U.S. average. ¢/kWh. California: 33.35 ¢/kWh; U.S. average: 19.04 ¢/kWhCalifornia33.35 ¢/kWhU.S. average19.04 ¢/kWh
¢/kWh

Key Insights

  • Electricity in California costs 75% more than the national average.
  • California ranks #3 among U.S. states for electricity prices.
  • Electricity in California is among the top 10 most expensive in the U.S.
  • California shows a rising electricity price trend based on recent historical data.

Looking for a consumer-friendly cost estimate? See Electricity Cost in California.

Rate trend

Trend (available history)

California avg rate trendCalifornia avg rate trend. Available history. Values: 33.22 ¢/kWh, 33.35 ¢/kWh, 33.35 ¢/kWh
Available history

Momentum Signal

Directional historical signal, not a forecast.

California shows a rising electricity price trend based on recent historical changes.

Signal: Rising12‑month change: +2.68%24‑month change: +2.74%

Where this state sits

Position relative to all states.

Avg rate (¢/kWh)
LowestHighest33.35 ¢/kWh
Value score
LowestHighest33
Affordability
LowestHighest29

Key Metrics

Avg rate (¢/kWh)
?Average residential electricity price in cents per kilowatt-hour for the state.
33.35¢/kWh→
Benchmark bill (900 kWh)
300.15$
Example bill (1000 kWh)
?Estimated monthly bill at 1000 kWh using the state's average rate, excluding certain fees/taxes depending on dataset limits.
333.5$
Value score
?Composite score used to compare states based on price and stability. See methodology for calculation details.
33
Affordability
?Index reflecting electricity cost burden relative to typical usage assumptions used by the site.
29
Freshness
?Indicates how recent the underlying dataset is relative to build time.
Fresh

Compare with other states

Direct state-to-state electricity cost comparisons.

Summary

Shareable summary
California electricity: 33.35 ¢/kWh
Benchmark bill (900 kWh): $300.15
Example bill (1000 kWh): $333.5
Value score: 33 | Affordability: 29
Freshness: Fresh (as of May 28, 2026)
More: https://priceofelectricity.com/knowledge/state/california

All fields

Field-level stats and metadata.

Avg rate (¢/kWh)
?Average residential electricity price in cents per kilowatt-hour for the state.
33.35
Updated
March 2026
Value score
?Composite score used to compare states based on price and stability. See methodology for calculation details.
33
Affordability
?Index reflecting electricity cost burden relative to typical usage assumptions used by the site.
29
Freshness
?Indicates how recent the underlying dataset is relative to build time.
Fresh

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Compare with other states

Direct state-to-state comparisons.

Disclaimers

Related electricity pages

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